Welsh and History

Welsh and History together form a combination that is uniquely suited to understanding Wales as a place with a living language, a distinct culture, and a complex past. Welsh is one of Europe's oldest living languages, spoken continuously for more than fifteen centuries, and studying it academically means engaging not just with grammar and vocabulary but with a rich literary tradition spanning medieval poetry, religious texts, and contemporary writing. History brings a broader analytical framework, training you to interrogate evidence, understand change over time, and situate events within their social, economic, and political contexts.

At Cardiff University, this three-year full-time programme gives you the opportunity to develop genuine proficiency in Welsh alongside a rigorous grounding in historical study. Cardiff is the capital of Wales and one of the most important centres for Welsh language culture and education, which means your studies are embedded in a living context. In the Welsh component of your degree, you will engage with the language at an academic level, studying its literature, its use in contemporary society, and its historical development.

In the History component, you will explore a range of periods and themes, developing the research, writing, and critical thinking skills that are central to historical study. The two disciplines complement each other naturally: understanding Welsh history is enriched by access to Welsh-language sources, and studying the Welsh language is deepened by an awareness of the historical forces that have shaped it.

Graduates from this programme are well placed for careers in education, the arts, public administration in Wales, broadcasting, journalism, archiving, and heritage work. The Welsh language is central to public life in Wales, and proficiency in Welsh alongside strong analytical and communication skills is genuinely valuable in many professional contexts. Some graduates go on to postgraduate study in Welsh, Celtic studies, history, or education, while others move directly into roles where their bilingualism and historical knowledge are an asset.